A fourth Central Australian case diagnosed

An Alice Springs woman, recently returned from the United Kingdom, tested positive for COVID-19.

The woman, aged in her 20s, has been in self-quarantine since returning from overseas.

Again, under national medical guidelines, the NT Government says contact tracing on her flight is not required due to the delay between her return and becoming unwell.

She is now in the care of Alice Springs Hospital.

Her diagnosis takes to 22 the cases of COVID-19 in the Northern Territory.

All of these cases have been acquired overseas or interstate.

EARLIER REPORT:

An Alice Springs woman who recently returned from the Gold Coast has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

She is in the care of Alice Springs Hospital after being in self-quarantine since her return.

Under national medical guidelines, contact tracing on her flights is not required due to the delay between her return and becoming unwell.

With another new case confirmed in Darwin overnight there have now been 21 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in the Northern Territory, all acquired interstate or overseas.

The Darwin woman in her 20s has tested positive after returning from Bali on flight JQ82 on Friday 20 March.

She had been in self-quarantine since that time and is now in Royal Darwin Hospital.

Passengers on flight JQ82 should be in self-quarantine until Friday 3 April. If they feel unwell they are urged to contact their doctor or the Centre for Disease Control to arrange testing for COVID-19.

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Erwin Chlanda, Editor

4 Comments (starting with the most recent)

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Concerned local

Posted April 19, 2020 at 8:42 pm

I am just wondering, it has been over two weeks now since all these cases. I am wondering if there is any news of the four people with covid-19.
Have any of them recovered yet and or been released from hospital?
[Hi, find the NT Government’s update here.]

“Under national medical guidelines, contact tracing on her flights is not required due to the delay between her return and becoming unwell.”
Qe?
So are they saying this poor person contracted the virus since she returned to Alice?
And not from where she arrived from?
How many people has she been in contact with since she contracted the virus, albeit without knowing so?
Given the average 10-14 day incubation period.
This methodology doesn’t stack up from all accounts!
Whoever you are I hope you recover and get well soon and have undertaken a strict self isolation regime tp protect others.
All the best to you and yours 🙂
Ps.: Is it just me, or is it a little weird / un-nerving that the NT seems to be the only place in Australia where “testing numbers” aren’t reported (per the ABC CVD-20 website) and Alice Springs’s residents are not even provided with information regarding locations of testing stations?! Darwin is.
Unfortunately, this scenario doesn’t provide me with much confidence in the NT system.
Particularly given everywhere else in Oz seems to be hell-bent on providing as much relevant and useful information about these aspects as possible.
[ED – As we reported the government is now releasing some numbers. They now stand at 22 confirmed cases, 2,273 tests conducted, 1 person recovered. No locations or other details are given. Erwin Chlanda, Editor.]

The Federal stats on their app, as of 06.00 this morning, says NT only has 18 cases!
I would believe Alice Springs News over the Feds. It’s pretty shit that the Feds can’t get the correct information to people though.

Self quarantine is morally good for the individuals’ personal welfare and commitment towards the community.
The quarantining and continual checks on people like this young lady is where the problem is.
It will come and be distributed by these people who say they are self isolating to make everyone safe because there are no serious quarantining follow ups.
Therefore they are as loose as a ducks ×#+
No more planes in please NT Government.